1408 E. Benjamin Avenue, Norfolk, NE Phone: Website: Welcome Guests

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1 Issue 52 Volume 45 December 29, E. Benjamin Avenue, Norfolk, NE Phone: Website: Welcome Guests Please take a moment to fill out the Welcome Card in front of you. You can drop it off at our Connection Center in the lobby and receive up to date information, or drop the card in the offering plate as it is passed. We are so glad you are here! Monday Bible Study Sign-Ups Ladies you are all invited to the Women s Bible Study, Gideon: Your Weakness, God s Strength by Priscilla Shirer. Workbooks cost $13 due when the study begins. Please sign up at the Connection Center. We need to order books this month. Study begins January 13. The evening Bible Study will meet at 6:30 pm and the morning Bible Study will meet at 9:00 am. Soup With The Staff If you are new or have been attending recently, we would like to invite you to each lunch with us! There is no cost to your family. We want to get to know you better and give you a chance to get to know us. Join us here for lunch on Sunday, January 19 at 12:30. Bring your family! Please sign up at the Connection Center so we can plan ahead or contact Wendy in the office at or fcc@conpoint.com. Meet Our Ministers Tim DeFor Lead Minister Randall Coffin Associate Minister Marshal Hardy Youth Minister Greg Springer Worship Arts Minister Kristi Carmichael Children s Minister

2 A Note From Lead Minister Tim DeFor Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I genuinely mean it. I wish for you the deep joy available because of Christmas. I wish for you the growing and abiding peace declared by angels at Jesus birth. There is nothing greater than receiving the gift of Jesus as Savior, King and Master. I wish this for you and for everyone within the reach of firstchristian s fully outstretched arms. Yet I also wish for you the soul stirring gift of discontentment. Paul the missionary and Jesus-appointed-ambassador wrote to Christians in Philippi that he learned contentment in all external circumstances, yet his pen reveals a soul-deep discontentment. Having or not having physical things like food, money, or a bed, troubled him little. Yet he was painfully discontent with other s spiritual poverty. The reality of people walking into eternity separated from God disturbed his sleep. He even said he would rather be lost and all his people be saved, than the other way around. That is certifiably discontent. If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, if you do not have a life-transforming relationship with God through Jesus, my prayer is that you are miserable until you do. I hope the treasures of this world are revealed as bland and dull in comparison to the glorious riches that are in Christ Jesus which can truly meet all your needs. I wish for you the gift of discontentment. If you know Jesus as your Savior, I wish you to be unsatisfied with your relationship with God until he is the source of your peace and joy. If you enjoy a rich growing relationship with God, then I pray you are ruined by the thought of thousands of people within a day s walking distance who have living rooms and garages full of Christmas presents, but do not know Jesus presence in their lives. I wish for you the gift of discontentment. If my Christmas prayer is granted, 2014 will be our most joyful and the most discontent. Joyfully discontent, firstchristian Community Congratulations Baptism Congratulations to Emmanuel Guico, who was baptized Sunday, December 22. He is the son of Manuel and Pam Guico. With Our Sympathy Our hearts and prayers are with Robert & Theresa Dupont upon the passing of Theresa s father Randy McNary on December 17. Services were held in California Year-End Giving Please have all 2013 giving to the church by noon on Tuesday, December 31. Anything turned into the office or that arrives by mail after noon on December 31 will be credited as 2014 giving. Church Photo Directories We have photo directories. Pick one up today at the Connection Center or you can pick one up in the church office during the week. Thank You!!! Thank you for your generosity in remembering us this Christmas. We are blessed to serve at firstchristian. We look forward to walking out our faith with you in God bless you as you look forward to a Happy New Year. We love you!

3 2014 The Story Continues First Christian has been preaching THE STORY since September. THE STORY is a journey through the Bible. One way for you to be involved is to read the Bible chapters given each week. A reading plan is available below. The date indicates a Sunday. Read the Bible chapters before each designated Sunday. THE STORY sermons and discussion guides can be found at THE STORY.BIBLE READING PLAN Jan 5 The King Who Had it All 1 Kings 1-8, 10-11; 2 Chronicles 5-7; Proverbs 1-3, 6, Jan 12 A Kingdom Torn in Two 1 Kings Jan 19 God s Messengers 1 Kings 17-19; 2 Kings 2, 4; 6; Hosea 4-5, 8-9, 14; Amos 1, 3-5, 9 Jan 26 The Beginning of the End 2 Kings 17-19; Isaiah 3, 6, 13-14, 49, 53 Feb 2 The Kingdoms Fall 2 Kings 21, 23-25; 2 Chronicles 33, 36; Jeremiah 1-2, 4-5, 13, 21; Lam 1-3, 5; Ezekiel 1-2, 6-7, Feb 9 Daniel in Exile Daniel 1-3, 6; Jeremiah Feb 16 The Return Home Ezra 1-6; Haggai 1-2; Zech 1; 8 Feb 23 Queen Esther Esther 1-9 Mar 2 Rebuilding the Walls Ezra 7; Nehemiah 1-2, 4, 6-8; Malachi 1-4 Mar 16 The Birth of the King Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2; John 1 Mar 23 Jesus Ministry Begins Matthew 3-4, 11; Mark 1-3; John 1-4 Mar 30 No Ordinary Man Matthew 5-7, 9, 14; Mark 4-6; Luke 10, 15; John 6 Apr 6 Jesus, the Son of God Matthew 17, 21; Mark 8-12, 14; Luke 9, 22; John 7-8, Apr 13 The Hour of Darkness Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 13-14, Apr 20 The Resurrection Matthew 27-18; Mark 16; Luke 24; John Apr 27 New Beginnings Acts 1-10; 12 May 4 Paul s Mission Acts 13-14, 16-20; Rom 1, 3-6, 8, 12, 15; I Cor 1, 3, 5-6, 10, 12-13, 15-16; Gal 1, 3, 5-6; I Thess 1-5 May 11 Paul s Final Days Acts 20-23, 27-28; Eph 1-6; 2Tim 1-4 May 18 The End of Time Revelation 1-5, 19-22

4 Miyazaki Bible House (Al and Rhonda Juve) Dear Friends and Family, One of the best parts of this year s Christmas outreach on December 8th was the great connections made with people who don t know Jesus yet. Mr. Toshimasu explained the Good News clearly and simply in his message. We re thankful for everyone who invited friends, and had a part in the program. Most of all we re grateful to God for the gift of His Son Jesus, 2000 years ago. Thank you for blessing and praying for us so we can be here to share the story of Jesus. May you have His peace and joy this Christmas. Celebrating Jesus, Al and Rhonda ROOTS My guess is that over the course of an average day, you don t really spend much time thinking about them. Maybe it s because they re largely hidden from view. But they re pretty remarkable, really. If there s a window nearby, take a look outside. Literally every growing thing in front of your eyes would cease to exist if it weren t for their invisible support system, delivering nutrients where they re needed most digging deeper to foster growth and holding up a life-giving world around us. You might pick up on the parallels without my prompting, but our Mission has flourished in much the same way over the last three decades. When we first planted in Haiti almost four decades ago, a handful of men and women with overflowing hearts for Haiti put roots down to build something they believed would someday become beautiful. They believed it because that s how roots work, and they trusted God would water them along the way. And He did. And we ve grown. And it s been beautiful indeed. I believe in faith that God can and will use our Mission to reach redwood-like heights for the advancement of His Kingdom in Haiti, above and beyond anything we ve experienced to date. I m bursting at the seams with anticipation as He s started spelling out His plans for getting us to that point healthily. This is one huge step in that direction, and I d like to ask you to prayerfully consider the extent to which He might be calling you to dig deeper. Janeil Owen, Executive Director You can give to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission through your designated giving. Note NWHCM in the memo line.

5 December 29, 2013 Children & Youth Classes Nursery (Fully Staffed) 9:30 12:15 Birth 2 years West Hallway Preschool 9:30 12: s & 4-5 s West Hallway Elementary School 9:30 12:15 JAM Town K 4th grades North Hallway Worship Services Praise Team Piano: Josh Bleich Electric: Tommy Zegers Bass: Dustin Wood Drums: Lee Clark Vocals: Allen Stateler, LuAnn Watson Lead Vocals / Acoustic: Mike Froberg Middle School No Class Today 5 6th grades NO Class Today Jr. / Sr. High Class 9:30 10: th grades Chapel: South Hallway Adult Bible Classes 8:15 am Subject: The Story Chapel: South Hallway 11:00 am NO Class Today Ushers: 9:30 Dave Ramberg 11:11 Dick Field Songs For Who You Are / Hillsong Famous One / Chris Tomlin Mighty To Save / Hillsong Jesus Messiah / Chris Tomlin The Stand / Chris Tomlin Prayer Michael Field Shoulder surgery recovery James Lecomte Long term recovery Cheryl Miller Shoulder surgery recovery and medical tests on her back Dan Speas Liver cancer / treatment Norma Steele Medical treatment Trisha 4th stage kidney failure, pray to find a kidney donor Meet Our Elders Donald Holloway Chairman Steve Ball Treasurer Kevin Mueller Tom Schmidt Vice Chairman Larry Glandt Steve Smith Jim Hopkins Secretary December 22, 2013 Attendance Worship: 347, 214 (561) Pre-K: 43 JAM Town: th grade: 5 Total attendance: 650 Other Attendance Sunday School Total: 188 Adults: 47 Jr/Sr High: 25 Bel Air: 17 Golden Living: 28 General Fund Budgeted weekly: $11,140 Received: $14,264 Budgeted ytd: $568,140 Received ytd: $625,344 Debt Service Needed Weekly: $2,600 Loan Payment: $11,300 Received this week: $3,334 Received this month: $64,977 Mission Giving Missions this week: $3,865 Missions this month: $24,070